Broad question but here is my take.
All three environments have the same variables in a survival situation. You need things. And by "need" I mean you must have them or you die.
1. Food - Procurement (hunting), processing and preparation
2. Shelter - hasty or elaborate
3. Defense - From predators or humans
4. Various tasks - Make tools/weapons, medical, utility, firemaking
Some of the knives under consideration are:
Small/Med (smallest I would consider - notice I said """" I """")
CS Recon Scout 15 oz - 7.5" blade - 14.5 overall
BK7 13.6 oz - 7" blade - 12.75 overall
Fallkniven A1 12 oz - 6.3" blade - 11" overall
ESEE 6 11.8 oz - 5.75" blade - 11.75 overall
Meduim/Large
CS Trail Master 16.7 oz - 9.5" blade - 14.5 overall
Becker Combat Bowie 23.9 oz - 9" blade - 14.75 overall
Large/Ex Lg
ESEE Jungles/RTAC II 22.5 oz - 11" blade - 16.5 overall
CS Gurkha Kukri 22 oz - 12" blade - 17" overall
Now ask yourself which knife you would want for the following situations:
Build a 1-3 day shelter
You hurt your leg and need to make a shelter and get firewood for cold weather.
A rabid coyote or bobcat enters your camp & is coming toward you.
A black bear enters your camp after smelling food.
You need to spear a fish in very cold weather.
You see & feel a storm coming and need 3 days of fire wood.
Skin and clean a deer hide for a blanket.
All of a sudden those little knives I didn't even mention here aren't a consideration anymore! You even start wishing your Recon Scout or ESEE 6 was a Trail Master in hurry!
Hiking in your yard or on a well used park path is great and it is lots of fun but, it is a game. Real survival is not a game and when you are out alone far from help you must be prepared for the "biggest" thing you may come across not the "smallest" task. Big knives may be sloppy at smaller tasks but they can do them, small knives on the other hand simply cannot do larger tasks without the risk of breaking and/or injuring you. Both of which are "game over" situations. If a predator enters your camp trying to steal your food in a survival situation you can't just let them. In that case I wouldn't want anything smaller than a Recon Scout under any circumstances and would prefer the Trail Master or Gurkha Kukri. I may not win a fight with a black bear with the kukri but at least I would be in the game. And any animal smaller than that, is on my fire! (the fire I made with 1/10th the effort with the TM or kukri)
I'm sure the A1, BK7 and ESEE 6 can get you though some of these situations but for ""real"" survival why not upgrade 2-4 inches of blade for the measley 4-8 oz of additional weight? It may be harder to make a flute or spread peanut butter with those bigger blades but on the other hand, who wants to spend hours making firewood and a shelter when the Trail Master, Junglas or kukri can do it in minutes?
When your life is on the line remember what I was once told in the Marines:
"you don't get 3 plays for a quarter out here like on a video game, out here you live or you die, period."
Plus, what if you come face to face with a hostile tatami mat or a dead pig hanging on a rope attacks you? The only thing you are going to do with that RC-3 is spread the mayo on the toast for the BLT's!!!
Walk softly and carry a Gurkha Kukri!
Bill
Virginia
